Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc 2011

J D Pretorius crafted this wine with a series of batches of fruit from different blocks on the farm. These were also harvested at different levels of ripeness resulting in a serious, complex wine. JD has this to say about the wine:

Our Sauvignon Blanc is a true expression of Steenberg’s unique position and terroir which is absolutely ideal for the production of this varietal. The decomposed granite soils in the Sauvignon Blanc are perfect for this grape as the soil is slightly leaner, and prohibits overly vigourous growth of the vines, which in turn promotes a naturally controlled lower yield and excellent concentration of fruit in the berries. In addition, the farm’s location near the ocean results in lovely mineral notes from the maritime influence, and traces of earthy fynbos are evident as a result of its setting within the Cape Floral Kingdom. We take great care to work with purity of fruit and allow expression of the terroir, with the aim of producing wines that show constraint and a sense of place. I believe the Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc 2011 is a classic example of this.

Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc 2011

This wine is so much more than a poolside tipple, as my significant other and I experienced as we sat on our jetty watching the sun drop behind the mountains while sipping a glass of this elegant wine. Very much a food wine, it is made to complement foods like sushi, lemon-garnished fish dishes, salads dressed with vinaigrette and Thai food. There are lovely aromas of grapefruit and green apple with different aromas coming through each time the wine is swirled in the glass. When sipping the wine there is the sensation of mouth-filling freshness and zest, and flavours of lime, green apple and ruby grapefruit. The sensations stay on the palate for the longest time – always a sign of quality in wine.

Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc 2011 sells from the cellar door at R95.00 a bottle.

Contact telephone: +(27) 21 7132211

Tasting and sales: Mon – Frid 09h00 – 18h00

Sat/Sun and public holidays 10h00 – 18h00

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Just released are the Seven Springs Vineyards Syrah 2010 as well as the Seven Springs Vineyards Chardonnay 2010.

The Syrah boasts a savoury, earthy character with soft tannins which came as a surprise for such a young wine.  I liked the acidity and found the wine to be well balanced. The aftertaste stays and stays with just enough spiciness to create interest without dominating the palate. My opinion is that this Syrah is a fantastic wine with great structure which is drinking well now. In another five years it should reach its full potential.

My score is 18/20 – an excellent, superior quality wine.

The alcohol is 13.77%.

The Chardonnay impressed me with the lime scent when I took that first sniff. The sensation when I sipped that first taste completely bowled me over with scintillating freshness followed by an incredible, long finish. For me this is a perfect Summer wine.

Winemaker, Riana van der Merwe, reports that it was fermented and aged in second fill, 300 liter barrels and that it only completed 30% Malo-lactic fermentation. She suggests that good food matches would be savoury dishes including fish, chicken and pasta dishes.

My score for the Chardonnay is also 18/20.

The alcohol is 13.88%

Seven Springs Syrah 2010 and Chardonnay 2010 can be bought at Wine Village, Hermanus. The Chardonnay is also available at Wine Concepts, Newlands. Both sell for R114.00 per bottle and can be ordered online.

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Steenberg H.M.S. Echo Red Blend 2009

from the German Baltic coast who was granted a parcel of land in 1682 by Simon Van Der Stel, making it the oldest in the Constantia Valley.

A new release from winemaker J.D. Pretorius is the third in the H.M.S. trio of wines named for battleships which were deployed during the Battle of Muizenberg in the first British Occupation of the Cape – Steenberg H.M.S. Echo Red Blend 2009. The other two wines are Steenberg H.M.S. Sphynx Chardonnay 2010 and Steenberg H.M.S. Rattlesnake Sauvignon Blanc 2010.

H.M.S. Echo is a blend of 62% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc and 14% Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes were sourced from Constantia, Robertson and Darling and each cultivar was fermented separately before spending 20 months in third-fill French barrels.

This wine is a joy to drink – aromas of peppermint and chocolate burst out of the glass.
This is a delicious, voluptuous, well balanced wine with a finish that lasts forever.

It paired very well with char-grilled T-bone steak as well as with char-grilled ostrich steak. Other great food matches would be roasted lamb with garlic and rosemary; beef and because of the minty flavour, will also work well with turkey and its traditional sweet trimmings.

On the other hand I could very happily drink it paired with only itself.

I rate this wine 18/20 – an excellent superior quality wine.

The alcohol is 14%

The cellar door price is R80.00 or R480.00 per six bottle case.

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The Pepper Pot

noted from the description that this was one of David Finlayson’s creations we knew we were in for a treat.

The Finlaysons had been a huge influence on the South African wine industry for three generations since Dr Maurice Finlayson, a pathologist from Inverness, Scotland, started a wine business at Hartenberg, Stellenbosch. His son Walter started and built up Glen Carlou in Paarl. He was soon joined by his son David and in time Glen Carlou was sold to the Hess Family Estates and the Finlaysons have since been crafting accoladed wines on Edgebaston family farm.

This unusual blend Syrah 46%, Mourvedre 46 % and Tannat 8% is brash, bold, in your face  and a great boerewors wine. The coriander and allspice in this traditional South African sausage enhance the white pepper flavour in the wine.  On its own The Pepper Pot has a surprisingly dominant blueberry flavour and is very smooth.

My rating of this wine is 15/20 – a good quality, well made wine.

The Pepper Pot has a screwcap.

Alcohol 14.5

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Woolworths Limited Release TMV Spectrum 2008

paradise on the banks of Zandvlei. It’s hard to think that today was the shortest day in the year, supposedly the middle of Winter, and we found ourselves enjoying the early sunset, on the jetty with our canine companions and pelagic birds,  sipping another delectable South African wine.

Mostly we enjoy red wines but the glorious sunshine today called for a fresh white wine and Tullbagh Mountain Vineyards Spectrum was the perfect choice.

Tulbagh is a wine district in the Coastal Wine Region of South Africa, a valley enclosed by mountain ranges. TMV is run using a terroir driven approach and bio-dynamic farming methods, by  Paul Nichols who tends the vineyards and Rebecca Tanner who is the cellar master.

Spectrum 2008 is a much lauded blend of Chenin Blanc 62%, Chardonnay 14% Grenach 9%, Rousanne 8% and Viognier 7%.  The components were fermented seperately in old oak barrels and 600 liter Nomblot egg-shaped fermenters and only native yeasts were used. Malolatic fermentation was allowed and the wine was left on its lees without sulphur additions. After a year the wine was racked and blended. The result is natural richness and mouth feel as well as natural minerality. The palate is rich and complex with elegant layers of citrus, lime and vanilla flavours ending in a long, long finish.

Food matches are roast herb chicken or duck with orange or ginger sauce.

For me this is a superior quality wine and I rate it 19/20.

It has a screw cap and the alcohol content is 13.5%.

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Red wine substitute

After unpacking the wine cupboard and closely examining dozens of bottles of white wine we came to the realisation that we were clean out of red wine. Not even a bottle of plonk was on hand.

Then inspiration struck. After ransacking the not-to-be-disturbed, keep for a special occasion wine stash in the bedroom cupboard, two bottles of splendid red wine were unearthed – Steenberg Nebbiolo 2008 and Steenberg Catharina 2007 no less.

Sure, the Nebbiolo was to be relished at a future dinner party when I would serve it with osso buco to wine fundi friends and sure, we had decided that the Catharina was too young to be appreciated fully and needed more bottle maturation.

The decision as to what last night’s special occasion was, seemed too great for either of us to take.

Let lady luck decide – heads and we crack open the Nebbiolo, tails we make two mugs of hot chocolate.

Did the coin land on its side?

We drank our hot chocolate in silence in the balmy night air and then went to bed.

P.S.  Watch this space for that Nebbiolo review.

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Jordan Chameleon Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2008

delivers on price.

The Chameleon Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2008 has a bold nose with layers of leather, dark ripe fruit , cassis, mint and violet aromas. The tannins are soft and there is a long finish which leaves some mint flavours on the palate.

Slow cooked lamb will pair well with this Bordeaux blend especially if rosemary is used with the meat.

Available at Pick and Pay Constantia for R59.95 per 750 ml bottle or from cybercellar.com for R63.50.

I rate this wine 17/20 which translates to a superior wine.

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Beautifully crisp with distinct lime and vanilla flavours to begin with, it stays on the palate for the longest time. South African Winemaker  Francois Welch added quercus fragmentus, which I discovered are oak bits, during fermentation, and that gives the wine a butter fragrance.

Fat Bastard Chardonnay 2010

The Fat Bastard brand was begun by winemaker Thierry and Guy Anderson in Languedoc-Roussillon with a tiny production but today the Chardonnay, Shiraz, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc wines are enjoyed on both sides of the pond and happily, at the bottom of Africa too. In South Africa the brand custodian is Robertson Winery which produces Fat Bastard Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Shiraz.

I found that it paired perfectly beautifully with itself but it also enhances gently flavoured risottos and pastas; salad starters which are dressed with mayonnaise; fresh oysters and simply cooked freshwater fish. In other words, dishes that can be overwhelmed by too much flavour in the glass.

Available at Pick and Pay, Constantia for R54.99 per bottle.

Also sold on Pick and Pay online shopping site.

My rating is 16/20 in other words a good quality, well made wine.

13.54% Alc0hol

RS 7.1

Ta 5.31

Ph 3.35

Serving temperature 8 – 10 degrees C

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A wine collector and bon vivant, Jude, personal chef to the Canadian Ambassador in Oslo, Norway, shared a Kanonkop Black Label Pinotage 2007 with us to celebrate Christmas Eve.

Co-owner of Kanonkop Estate, Paul Krige’s vision for the limited release of 1,000 bottles is that the market will decide the true value of this wine. Only two negociants control the supply and demand so that stock will be bought back from willing sellers to sell on for a higher price. More of this secondary market will help to establish South Africa as a producer of really premium wines and will set in motion a new set of dynamics in the industry as well as create a greater appreciation for truly fine, collectible wines.

Char-grilled ostrich steaks paired absolutely with the beautiful wine. For me, sipping this pinotage was ultimate local wine experience for me.

But let’s hear what Jude had to say:

Char-grilled ostrich steaks

The canon

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As promised here are the details of the UK suppliers where it retails for GBP9.90:

Proteas Wine

http://www.proteaswines.co.uk/

Bar Wines, York

http://www.barwines.co.uk/

Vin Neuf Wine Merchants

http://www.vinneuf.co.uk/

Underwood Wine Warehouse

http://www.underwoodwines.co.uk

Cybercellar

www.cybercellar.com/uk

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Seven Springs Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Winemaker Riana van der Merwe, has an impressive track record having helped craft wine at top-end South African producers like L’Ormarins, Seidelberg and Hidden Valley, as well as in California and in Northern Rhone, France.  This outstanding Sauvignon Blanc has created enormous expectations and we wait with excited anticipation for the release of the forth coming Chardonnay, Syrah and Pinot Noir.

Tasting the wine with my significant other and my lovely daughter, I noticed delicate pineapple and melon fragrances on the nose. This wine is perfectly balanced, incredibly soft with mouth-filling freshness and remains on the palate forever. My guess is that it will work well paired with food.

Isha commented that the wine exploded in her mouth with herbaceous flavours that are well rounded.

Here is what Duncan had to say,

Winepons Duncan

There are peach fragrances and it is incredibly smooth and balanced – glides down effortlessly. The Scottish have a description for good malt whiskey: “It curls round your heart like a hairy worm.” This wine is so smooth and glides down so easily that it seems to do almost the same.

And this from someone who always chooses red wine over white!

A big thank you to Tim Pearson the founder of Seven Springs Vineyard for sending me the beautiful wines to try!

Available from Cybercellar.com for R77.50 per bottle or from Wine Village in Hermanus.

Suppliers in the UK are soon to announced.

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Kleine Zalze Chardonnay 2010

2010 will be the one to change their mind. After some time on the lees or inactive yeast, after fermentation, there is a little butter on the nose along with tangerine and orange. This wine is lovely as a drink-on-it’s-own tipple and is fresh and has a crisp lime flavour.

It’s easy to drink and at R39.99 per bottle from Pick and Pay is affordable too.

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The Threesome

This low alcohol, easy drinking tipple gets away from the fruit forward style.  Instead it has acidity as its backbone yet is beautifully balanced. Nosing it we found spearmint fragrances and on the palate restrained fruit. We happily drink this as an aperitif sitting on the jetty watching the sun go down.

Any ideas about food pairing? Let us know what your experience is.

Its affordable at only R50.00 per bottle from the cellar in Heritage Square, Cape Town.

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Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

It is one of an extensive range of imported wines supplied by this South African retailer.

Not being familiar with this cultivar, I checked Jancis Robinson’s  Oxford Companion to Wine and discovered that Montepulciano is grown in the central and eastern provinces of  Italy like Abruzzo, Marche, Molise and Puglia.

Nosing the wine we found delicate, ripe raspberry scents. On the palate the wine is bone dry to begin with but this quickly changes to a satin smooth, silky feel. It reminded me of those melt-in-the-mouth butter cookies we used to get long ago. The finish leaves you with a ripe fruit sensation, almost sweet and quite like ripe strawberry.

As usual, we were eating alfresco and had grilled free-range lamb chops with the wine – a combo made in heaven! The label recommended having the wine with spicy Italian sausage on bread. What is the South  African equivalent? A boerewors roll of course.

Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is available online or at Woolworths retail stores for R130.00 per bottle.

Postcript:

Woollies will no longer stock this wine once stocks have been sold out but it can be ordered from Lorenzo at:

http://melgab.co.za/wine/producers/zaccagnini/montepulciano_d_abruzzo

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This beautiful wine is selling for only R59.95 per bottle at Woolworths Blue Route right now.

Allan Mullins does it again.

Chateau Les Traverses 2006

As a Cape Wine Master and the wine selector for the major South African retailer, Woolworths, he is able to offer a range of wines across all pricing points, from the easy-drinking to the complex and sophisticated special wines. Apart from the local wines available, Allan has procured international wines like Barolo classic Piedmont reds,  Lambrusco Rosso Perle Wine,  and Vignavecchia Chianti Classico from Tuscany,  Cotes Du Rhone Red Wine, several from Bordeaux and wines from Portugal and Spain.

We were thrilled to pick up Chateau Les Traverses 2006 from the Medoc, Bordeaux for the extraordinary price of only R100.00 ($13) Most of the international wines in the range cost less than R100.00.

On the nose this wine did not make me think that it is old world in style at all and reminded me of some of the premium South African wines that we enjoy. Is this an indication of the high standard of  Cape Town wines? There are leather and blackberry notes. On the palate the wine is dry to begin with but tastes of ripe plum after a bit. We found it be elegant and smooth.

If you are a lover of French wine but only have a South African budget, bust the bank and stock up while you can.

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Paul Cluver Pinot Noir 2008 & Backsberg Pinotage 2008

In my opinion it pairs beautifully with roast, free-range chicken so that’s what we ate for dinner. This wine is smooth, balanced and medium-bodied. The lovely strawberry flavours give an illusion of sweetness yet it is quite dry and there is a long, dry aftertaste of clove and sour cherry.

What struck me when I nosed the wine, picking up on the sweet cherry and smokiness, is the similarity to Pinotage which is the result of  a crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut to produce this hybrid grape. Since we had a Backsberg Pinotage 2008 on hand, we decided that it would be fun to have a comparison between the two.

Besides the common aromas,  the wines share great structure and harmony although the Pinotage is more robust, and married well with barbecued, ostrich steak. It is also higher in alcohol – 14.5% compared to 13.5% in the Pinot Noir. The finish is dry with intense woodiness and that bitterness is there which I always notice when quaffing Pinotage.

Both of these wines come highly recommended. At R51.00 ($6.5) the Backsberg Pinotage 2008 is a great find. Woolworths Reserve Paul Cluver Wines Pinot Noir 2008 sells for R150.00 ($19)

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La Capra presented by Fairview

We decided to try the La Capra Shiraz 2008 and very easily laid the bottle waste. There is are spice flavours galore on the palate like white pepper, clove and nutmeg, and the fruity yet dry flavours remind of eating pomegranates when I was a child. We think this wine goes very well with itself but it was also great with our sirloin and ostrich sausage braai. It’s beautifully balanced and sits on the palate forever after swallowing.

If I wanted to introduce a first time drinker to a Shiraz varietal wine, La Capra Shiraz is what I would reach for.

The quirky label reminds us that Fairview is home to goat herds and produces award winning cheeses.

These wines are available at the unbelievable price of R200.00 ($28.50) per mixed case from the farm.

La Capra Shiraz

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Vergelegen Merlot 2006

This is a lush, full-bodied wine with a little bit of spice on the palate and lots of ripe, red fruit flavours. It is smooth as silk and satisfying in every way. We are happy to drink it on it’s own but love to pair it with a rich meat stew like cottage pie. This is very much a comfort drink.

At R135.91 ($19) per bottle it is more an occasional wine rather than a daily tipple.

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Zorgvliet Silver Myn Merlot Cabernet Franc 2006

Quaffing this wine as we watched the clouds change colour over the Constantiaberg Mountains we were immediately impressed with the smooth elegance and balance. For me the main flavours were a little spice, sour cherry and mulberry. It is hard to believe that this is a second tier wine of this premium Cape Town producer.

Named Silver Myn because of historical mining that took place in the Banghoek area of Stellenbosch, Zorgvliet aims with this range to pair usual cultivars with unusual ones in high quality blends. Sauvignon Blanc with Viognier and Cabernet Sauvignon with Malbec are two more examples.

At R49.60 ($7) a bottle, this is astonishing good value for money.

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The Wolftrap 2008

All of the wines in the flagship range rank between 4 and 5 stars out of 5 in Platter’s South African Wines 2010.

From one of the second-tier ranges from this champion producer comes The Wolftrap 2008, a blend of Shiraz, Mouvedre and Viognier with a touch of oak. This wine is delicious and affordable for every day quaffing selling for less then $8 a bottle. We paired it with rare, roast beef and mustard and I was amazed at how the wine exploded on my palate.

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